caravan-leader saw coming in the opposite direction in a chariot drawn
by asses, a black man with bloodshot eyes, with ungirt quiver, wearing
a garland of lilies, his garments wet, the hair of his head wet, the
wheels of his chariot smeared with mud. Seeing, he said this: “Whence,
sir, do you come?” “From such-and-such a country.” “Whither do you
intend to go?” “To such-and-such a country.” “Evidently, sir, farther
on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.” “Yes, indeed,
sir. Farther on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.
The roads are drenched with water; abundant are grass and sticks and
water. Throw away, sir, the old grass, sticks, and water; with lightly
burdened carts go ever so quickly; do not overburden the conveyances.”
Now that caravan-leader told his drivers what that man had said, and
gave orders as follows: “Throw away the old grass, sticks, and water;
with lightly burdened carts start the caravan forward.” “Yes, sir,”
said those drivers to that caravan-leader. And in obedience to his
command they threw away the old grass, sticks, and water, and with
lightly burdened carts started the caravan forward. Neither in the
first stage of the journey, nor in the second, nor in the third, nor in
the fourth, nor in the fifth, nor in the sixth, nor in the seventh, did
they see grass or sticks or water; they all met destruction and death.
And all that were in that caravan, whether men or beasts, did that
ogre, that demon, devour, leaving only the bare bones.
When the second caravan-leader knew, “It is now a long time since
that caravan started out,” he loaded his carts with abundant grass
and sticks and water, and started his caravan forward. Now when he
had proceeded a journey of two or three days, this caravan-leader
saw coming in the opposite direction in a chariot drawn by asses, a
black man with bloodshot eyes, with ungirt quiver, wearing a garland
of lilies, his garments wet, the hair of his head wet, the wheels of
his chariot smeared with mud. Seeing, he said this: “Whence, sir, do
you come?” “From such-and-such a country.” “Whither do you intend
to go?” “To such-and-such a country.” “Evidently, sir, farther on
in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.” “Yes, indeed,
sir. Farther on in the wilderness a heavy rain has been in progress.
The roads are drenched with water; abundant are grass and sticks and
water. Throw away, sir, the old grass, sticks, and water; with lightly
burdened carts go ever so quickly; do not overburden the conveyances.”
Now that caravan-leader told his drivers what that man had said,
adding: “This man surely is no friend of ours, no kinsman or
blood-relative. How can we trust him on our journey? On no account
must the old grass, sticks, and water, be thrown away. Start the
caravan forward, leaving the things just as they are. I will not
permit you to throw away the old.” “Yes, sir,” said those drivers to
that caravan-leader. And in obedience to his command they started the
caravan forward, leaving the things just as they were. Neither in the
first stage of the journey, nor in the second, nor in the third, nor
in the fourth, nor in the fifth, nor in the sixth, nor in the seventh,
did they see grass or sticks or water; but they saw that caravan in
destruction and ruin. And of those that were in that caravan, whether
men or beasts, they saw only the bare bones, for they had been eaten by
that ogre, by that demon.
Thereupon that caravan-leader addressed his drivers: “This caravan
here met destruction and ruin solely through the folly of that foolish
caravan-leader who acted as its guide. Now then, throw away those wares
in our own caravan which are of little worth, and take those wares in
this other caravan which are of great worth.” “Yes, sir,” said those
drivers to that caravan-leader. And in obedience to his command they
threw away all those wares in their own caravan which were of little
worth, and took those wares in that other caravan which were of great
worth. And they passed in safety through that wilderness solely
through the wisdom of that wise caravan-leader who acted as their guide.
_B. Uncanonical version._
Jātaka 1: i. 95-106.
One day a wealthy merchant, accompanied by five hundred disciples of
heretical teachers, went to Jetavana monastery, saluted the Exalted
One, presented offerings, and sat down. Likewise did those disciples
of heretical teachers salute the Teacher and sit down, close beside
the merchant. And they gazed at the countenance of the Teacher,
resplendent with the glory of the full moon; at his form, a form like
that of Great Brahmā, adorned with the greater and lesser marks of
beauty, encircled with a radiance a fathom deep; at the solid rays
of a Buddha which issued from his body, forming, as it were, garland
after garland and pair after pair.
And to them the Teacher, as it were a young lion roaring the lion’s
roar on a table-land in the Himālaya mountains, as it were a cloud
thundering in the rainy season, as it were bringing down the Heavenly
Ganges, as it were weaving a rope of jewels, with a voice like that
of Great Brahmā, endowed with the Eight Excellences, captivating
the ear, delighting the heart, preached a pleasing discourse on the
Doctrine, diversified in divers ways.
The heretics, after listening to the discourse of the Teacher,
believed in their hearts, and rising from their seats, burst asunder
the refuge of the heretical teachers and sought refuge in the Buddha.
From that time on they regularly accompanied the merchant to the
monastery with offerings, listened to the Doctrine, gave alms, kept
the Precepts, observed Fast-day. Now the Exalted One departed from
Sāvatthi and went back again to Rājagaha. When the Teacher departed,
the heretics burst that refuge asunder, sought refuge once more in
the heretical teachers, lapsed once more into their former position.
When the Exalted One returned to Sāvatthi and learned what had
happened, he said to those backsliders: “Laymen, in former times also
men mistook for a refuge what was no refuge at all, grasped with the
grasp of reason, with the grasp of contradiction, and in a wilderness
haunted by demons came to a sorry end, becoming the food of ogres.
But men who laid hold of Truth absolute, certain, consistent,
obtained safety in that very wilderness.” Having so said, he became
silent.
Thereupon the merchant, rising from his seat, saluted and applauded
the Exalted One. And joining his hands and pressing them to his head
in token of reverent salutation, he spoke as follows: “Reverend
Sir, it is clear to us that these laymen just now burst asunder the
Supreme Refuge and chose instead speculation. But the fact that
in former times, in a wilderness haunted by demons, men who chose
speculation were destroyed, while men who chose Absolute Truth were
saved,--that fact is hidden from us and clear to you alone. It were
indeed well were the Exalted One, as it were making the full moon
rise in the heavens, to make this fact clear to us.”
Then the Exalted One aroused the attention of the merchant by saying:
“I, O householder, fulfilled the Ten Perfections during a period of
time which cannot be measured, and penetrated Omniscience, for the
sole purpose of rending asunder the doubt of the world. Lend ear and
listen as attentively as though you were filling a golden tube with
lion-marrow.” Thereupon, as it were cleaving the Vault of the Snow
and releasing the full moon, he revealed circumstances hidden by
rebirth:
In times past, in the kingdom of Kāsi, in the city of Benāres, there
was a king named Brahmadatta. At that time the Future Buddha was
reborn in the household of a caravan-leader. In the course of time
he grew to manhood, and went about trading with five hundred carts.
Sometimes he went from east to west, sometimes from west to east. In
the same city of Benāres there was another caravan-leader besides, a
foolish, short-sighted, resourceless fellow.
At that time the Future Buddha took a valuable lot of goods from
Benāres, filled five hundred carts, made preparations for the journey,
and was all ready to start. Likewise that foolish caravan-leader also
filled five hundred carts, made preparations for the journey, and was
all ready to start.
The Future Buddha thought: “If this foolish caravan-leader goes at the
same time I go, and a thousand carts travel along the road together,
even the road will not be big enough. It will be difficult for the men
to find firewood and water, and difficult for the oxen to find grass.
Either he or I should go first.” So he had the man summoned, told him
the situation, and said: “It is out of the question for both of us to
go at the same time. Will you go first, or follow after?”
Thought the foolish caravan-leader: “There are many advantages in my
going first. There will not be a single rut in the road over which I
travel; my oxen will eat grass which has not been touched; my men will
have leaves for curry which have not been touched; the water will be
clear; I can sell my goods at whatever price I choose to set.” So he
said: “I, sir, will go first.”
As for the Future Buddha, he saw many advantages in going second, for
the following considerations presented themselves to his mind: “Those
who go first will make smooth the rough spots on the road; I shall go
by the same road they have gone; the oxen that go first will eat the
old tough grass, and my oxen will eat the fresh grass which will have
sprung up in the meantime; wherever they pluck leaves, fresh leaves
for curry will have sprung up and will be at the disposal of my men;
in places where there is no water, they will dig wells and obtain a
supply, and we shall drink water from wells dug by others. Moreover,
price-fixing is like depriving men of life! If I go second, I can sell
my goods for whatever price they have fixed.” Accordingly, seeing all
these advantages in going second, he said: “You, sir, go first.” “Very
well, sir,” said the foolish caravan-leader. So harnessing his carts,
he set out, and in due course passing beyond the habitations of men, he
reached the mouth of the wilderness.
(Wildernesses are of five kinds: robber-wildernesses, beast-wildernesses,
waterless wildernesses, demon-wildernesses, famine-wildernesses. Where
the road is infested with robbers, it is called a robber-wilderness.
Where the road is infested with lions and other beasts of prey, it
is called a beast-wilderness. Where there is no water for bathing or
drinking, it is called a waterless wilderness. If it is infested with
demons, it is called a demon-wilderness. If it lacks roots and hard
food and soft food, it is called a famine-wilderness. Of these five
kinds of wildernesses, this wilderness was both a waterless wilderness
and a demon-wilderness.)
Therefore that caravan-leader set many huge chatties in the carts and
had them filled with water before he struck into the sixty-league
wilderness. Now when he reached the middle of the wilderness, the
ogre who lived in the wilderness, thinking, “I will make these men
throw away the water they took,” created a car to delight the heart,
drawn by pure white young oxen; and surrounded by ten or twelve demons
bearing in their hands bow, quiver, shield, and weapon, decked with
water-lilies both blue and white, head wet, garments wet, seated in
that car like a very lord, the wheels of the car smeared with mud, came
down that road from the opposite direction.
Both before him and behind him marched the demons who formed his
retinue, heads wet, garments wet, decked with garlands of water-lilies
both blue and white, carrying in their hands clusters of lotus-flowers
both red and white, chewing the fibrous stalks of water-lilies,
streaming with drops of water and mud.
Now caravan-leaders, when the wind is ahead, to avoid the dust, ride
in front, sitting in their cars, surrounded by their attendants. When
it blows from behind, they ride behind in precisely the same way. But
at this time the wind was ahead; therefore that caravan-leader rode in
front.
When the ogre saw him approaching, he caused his own car to turn out
of the road and greeted him in a friendly manner, saying: “Where are
you going?” The caravan-leader also caused his own car to turn out of
the road, allowing room for the carts to pass, and standing aside,
said to that ogre: “We, sir, are just approaching from Benāres. But
you are approaching decked with water-lilies both blue and white, with
lotus-flowers both red and white in your hands, chewing the fibrous
stalks of water-lilies, smeared with mud, with drops of water streaming
from you. Is it raining along the road by which you came? Are the
lakes completely covered with water-lilies both blue and white, and
lotus-flowers both red and white?”
When the ogre heard his words, he said: “Friend, what’s this you’re
saying? Do you see that dark green streak of woods? Beyond that
point the entire forest is one mass of water; it rains all the time;
the hollows are full of water; in this place and in that are lakes
completely covered with lotus-flowers both red and white.” As the carts
passed, one after another, he inquired: “Where are you going with these
carts?” “To such-and-such a country.” “What are the goods you have in
this cart,--and in that?” “Such-and-such.”
“The cart that approaches last moves as though it were excessively
heavy; what goods have you in that?” “There is water in that.” “In
bringing water thus far, of course, you have acted wisely. But beyond
this point you have no occasion to carry water. Ahead of you water is
abundant. Break the chatties to pieces, throw away the water, travel
at ease.” And having so said, he added: “You continue your journey;
we have some business that detains us.” The ogre went a little way,
and when he was out of their sight, went back again to his own city of
ogres.
Now that foolish caravan-leader, out of his own foolishness, took the
advice of the ogre, broke the chatties to pieces, threw away all of the
water, leaving not so much as a dribble, and caused the carts to move
forward. Ahead there was not the slightest particle of water. For lack
of water to drink the men grew weary. They traveled until sundown,
and then unharnessed the carts, drew them up in a contracted circle,
and tied the oxen to the wheels. There was neither water for the oxen
nor gruel and boiled rice for the men. The weakened men lay down here
and there and went to sleep. At midnight the ogres approached from the
city of ogres, slew both oxen and men, every one, devoured their flesh,
leaving only the bare bones, and having so done, departed. Thus, by
reason of a single foolish caravan-leader, they all met destruction.
The bones of their hands and all their other bones lay scattered about
in the four directions and the four intermediate directions; five
hundred carts stood as full as ever.
As for the Future Buddha, he waited for a month and a half from the
day when the foolish caravan-leader set out, and then set out from
the city with five hundred carts. In due course he reached the mouth
of the wilderness. There he had the water-chatties filled, putting in
an abundant supply of water. Then, sending a drum around the camp, he
assembled his men and spoke as follows: “Without first obtaining my
permission, you must not use so much as a dribble of water. In the
wilderness there are poison-trees: any leaf or flower or fruit which
you have not previously eaten, you must not eat without first obtaining
my permission.” Having thus admonished his men, he struck into the
wilderness with his five hundred carts.
When he reached the middle of the wilderness, that ogre showed himself
in the path of the Future Buddha in precisely the same way as before.
When the Future Buddha saw him, he knew: “In this wilderness is no
water; that is what is called a waterless wilderness. Moreover this
fellow is fearless, red-eyed, casts no shadow. Without a doubt this
fellow caused the foolish caravan-leader who went first to throw away
all his water, and having thus brought weariness upon him and his
company, devoured them. But, unless I am mistaken, he does not know how
wise and resourceful I am.”
Accordingly the Future Buddha said to the ogre: “You go your way. We
are traders. Unless we see water farther on, we shall not throw away
the water we have brought. But wherever we do see water, there we shall
throw away the water we have brought, and having thus lightened our
carts, shall continue our journey.” The ogre went a little way, and
when he was out of sight, went back again to his own city of ogres.
Now when the ogre had gone, the men asked the Future Buddha: “Noble
sir, these men said: ‘Do you see that dark green streak of woods?
Beyond that point it rains all the time.’ And the men who said it
approached garlanded with garlands of water-lilies both blue and white,
carrying clusters of lotus-flowers both red and white, chewing the
fibrous stalks of water-lilies, heads wet, garments wet, with drops of
water streaming from them. Let us throw away the water and go quickly
with lightened carts.”
The Future Buddha, hearing their words, caused the carts to halt,
assembled all of his men, and asked: “Has any one of you heard that
there is either a lake or a pool in this wilderness?” “Noble sir, we
have not so heard. This is what is called a waterless wilderness.”
“Just now some men said: ‘Beyond that dark green streak of woods it is
raining.’ Now how far does a rain-wind blow?” “A matter of a league,
noble sir.” “But has a rain-wind touched the body of even a single
one of you?” “It has not, noble sir.” “How far off is a cloud-head
visible?” “A matter of a league, noble sir.” “But has any one of you
seen even a single cloud-head?” “We have not, noble sir.” “How far off
is lightning visible?” “Four or five leagues, noble sir.” “But has
any one of you seen a flash of lightning?” “We have not, noble sir.”
“How far off can the sound of a cloud be heard?” “A matter of one or
two leagues, noble sir.” “But has any one of you heard the sound of a
cloud?” “We have not, noble sir.”
“Those are not human beings; those are ogres. They must have come with
the thought in their minds: ‘We will make these men throw away their
water, weaken them, and devour them.’ The foolish caravan-leader who
went first was not resourceful. Undoubtedly he must have thrown away
the water at their behest, grown weary, and been devoured; the five
hundred carts must stand as full as ever. To-day we shall see them. Do
not throw away even so much as a dribble of water, but drive ahead as
fast as ever you can.” With these words he bade them drive forward.
Proceeding, he saw the five hundred carts as full as ever, and the
bones of the men’s hands and all their other bones scattered in all
directions. He had the carts unharnessed and a stockade built by
drawing them into a contracted circle. He had both men and oxen given
their supper betimes, and the oxen lie down in the centre of the circle
formed by the men. He himself, assisted by the leaders of the force,
kept watch during the three watches of the night, sword in hand, and
allowed the dawn to rise upon him standing there.
On the following day, very early in the morning, he had his men do all
their chores, feed the oxen, discard the weak carts, substitute strong
ones, throw away goods of little value, substitute those of great
value. And going to the place where he would be, he sold his goods for
twice or thrice the price, and together with his entire company went
back again to his own city.
When the Teacher had related this parable, he said: “Thus,
householder, in times past those who grasped with the grasp of
speculation came to a sorry end, but those who grasped Absolute Truth
escaped from the hands of demons, went in safety to the place where
they would be, and went back again to their own place.” And having
thus joined the two parts of this Parable of Absolute Truth, he, the
Supremely Enlightened, uttered the following stanza:
Some adhered to Absolute Truth, sophists to less than this.
Knowing this, a wise man should lay hold on Absolute Truth.
Said the Teacher in conclusion: “At that time the wise caravan-leader
was I myself.”
_25. Boar and Lion._
“_Eat me, O lion!_”
Adapted from C. H. Tawney, Ocean of the Streams of Story
(Kathāsaritsāgara), Chapter 72.
In times past there dwelt in a cave in the Vindhya mountains a wise
boar, who was none other than the Buddha in a previous state of
existence, and with him his friend a monkey. He was compassionate
towards all living beings. One day there came to his cave a lion and
a lioness and their cub. And the lion said to his mate: “Since the
rains have hindered the movements of all living beings, we shall of a
certainty perish for lack of some animal to eat.” And the lioness said:
“Of a certainty one or another of us is destined to die of hunger.
Therefore do you and the cub eat me, for thus you will save your lives!
Are you not my lord and master? Can you not get another mate like me?
Therefore do you and the cub eat me, for thus you will save your lives!”
Now at that moment the wise boar awoke, and hearing the words of the
lioness, was delighted, and thought to himself: “This is the fruit of
the merit which I have acquired in previous states of existence. I will
satisfy the hunger of my friends with my own body and blood.” Then the
wise boar arose from his bed and went out of his cave and said to the
lion: “My good friend, do not despair. For here I am, ready to be eaten
by you and your mate and your cub. Eat me, O lion!” Now when the lion
heard these words, he was delighted, and said to his mate: “Let our cub
eat first; then I will eat, and you shall eat after me.” The lioness
agreed.
So first the cub ate some of the flesh of the wise boar, and then the
lion began to eat. And while he was eating, the wise boar said to him:
“Be quick and drink my blood before it sinks into the ground, and
satisfy your hunger with my flesh, and let your mate eat what is left.”
So the lion gradually devoured the flesh until only the bones were
left. But--wonderful to relate!--the wise boar did not die, for his
life remained in him, as if to see how long his endurance would endure.
In the meantime the lioness died of hunger in the cave, and the lion
went off somewhere or other with his cub, and so the night came to an
end.
Then the monkey awoke and went out of the cave, and seeing the wise
boar reduced to a heap of bones, became greatly excited and exclaimed:
“What reduced you to a heap of bones? Tell me, O friend, if you
can.” So the wise boar told him the whole story. Then the monkey did
reverence to the wise boar, and said to him: “Tell me what you wish me
to do, and I will do it.” The wise boar replied: “I wish only to have
my body restored to me like as it was before, and to have the lioness
that died of hunger restored to life again, that she may satisfy her
hunger with my body and blood.” Thereupon, as the fruit of the merit
which the wise boar had acquired, he was transformed into a sage, and
the monkey into a sage likewise.
_26. Fairy-Prince and Griffin._
“_Eat me, O griffin!_”
Adapted from C. H. Tawney, Ocean of the Streams of Story
(Kathāsaritsāgara), Chapters 22 and 90.
On a ridge of the Himālaya stands a city called the Golden City, for it
gleams from afar like the rays of the sun. And in that city, once upon
a time, lived the king of the fairies, and his name was Jīmūta-ketu.
And in the garden of his palace grew a wishing-tree, and its name
was Granter of Desires, for it granted all desires. By the favor of
that tree the king obtained a son, who was none other than the Future
Buddha, and his name was Jīmūta-vāhana. He was valiant in generosity,
of mighty courage, and compassionate towards all living beings.
When Jīmūta-vāhana was become of age, his father made him crown-prince.
Thus did he become the fairy-prince. And when he had become the
fairy-prince, the ministers of the kingdom came to him and said: “O
fairy-prince, do reverence always to this wishing-tree, for it grants
all desires, and cannot be resisted by any living creature. For so
long as we possess this tree, we cannot suffer injury of any kind from
anyone, even from Indra, king of the gods, much less from any other.”